Alumni Career Spotlights

Visit Candid Career and search "NJIT" to hear more about each of the alumni below, including the details of their job, advice for current students, and how NJIT prepared them for their current role.

Industrial Designer and Owner, Brew Watch Co.

Jonathan Ferrer ‘14, Industrial Design
Jonathan is an Industrial Designer and the Owner of Brew Watch Co., a micro-brand of luxury watches based out of New York City. After graduating from NJIT with a degree in Industrial Design, Jonathan started out working for Movado and other watch companies when he got the
idea to start his own brand, Brew Watch Co.

Project Manager, Turner Construction Company

Lisa Moving ’01 ‘03, Architecture and Civil Engineering
Lisa is a Project Manager with Turner Construction Company, one of the largest construction management companies in the United States. Working mostly with commercial properties, Lisa is responsible for making sure her team has the tools and resources necessary for staying on track and on budget.

Business Analyst & Scrum Master, S&P Global Market Intelligence

Sebastienne Rivada ’15, Business
Sebastienne is a Business Analyst and Scrum Master for S&P Global Market Intelligence. Based out of New York City, her responsibility is essentially that of a project manager. While transitioning the organization from Waterfall to Scrum methodologies, Sebastienne prioritizes requests, schedules global meetings, and sees projects through to completion.

Associate Director, Biologics Network Business Operations, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Ketan Gujarathi ’11, Biomedical Engineering
Ketan is the Associate Director of Business Operations for the Biologics Network at Bristol- Myers Squibb. His goal is to facilitate and supervise the production sites for the company's Biologics Networks, which includes the manufacturing of many life-saving medicines. Whether it's the construction of a new plant or the moving of operations after a hurricane's destruction, Ketan works tirelessly to ensure the supply chain of medicine is not broken.

Customer Account Specialist, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Awais Qazi ’17, Business
Awais is a Customer Account Specialist with Hewlett Packard Enterprise. What started as a division of the technology giant is now a separate but partnered entity, supplying companies and organizations with technology and hardware solutions. Working in the billing department, Awais handles all of the financial billing, including sending and receiving invoices, for his assigned global customers.

Manager of Design, Port Authority of NY and NJ

Kess-Ann Grant ’09, Mechanical Engineering
Kess-Ann is the Manager of Design for the Port Authority of NY and NJ. She manages engineering and construction projects within the design division. Whether the project calls for an upgrade, repair, or total replacement, Kess-Ann is tasked with managing the project and team as it moves from the design phase through to completion.

Senior Specialist of Global Engineering, Merck & Co.

Maria Khouzam ’11, Chemical Engineering
Maria is a Senior Specialist of Global Engineering with Merck & Co., one of the world's leading inventors and manufacturers of medicines and vaccines. Maria's role is to oversee the improvements to both existing and new production facilities. Aside from a degree in chemical engineering or similar, Maria tells us the most impressive quality to land that first job is communication skills.

Manager of Software Engineering, Optum / UnitedHealth Group

Dominick Cirillo ’11, Business, Management Information Systems
Dominick leads a team of problem solvers with the aim of helping the company's business partners and clients solve their problems with cutting-edge technology. Dominick explains his management process for a recent project: decommissioning an outdated system.

Project Management Specialist, PGIM Fixed Income

Dania Shahzad ’13, Business
Dania is a Project Management Specialist with PGIM Fixed Income. Based out of Newark, NJ, Dania works with various groups across the organization to accomplish business objectives ranging from updating accounting systems to adapting to new regulatory compliance laws.

Senior Business Analyst, Optum / UnitedHealth Group

Aya Elsekhely ‘14 ’15, Biomedical Engineering
Aya is a Senior Business Analyst with Optum / UnitedHealth Group. Her main responsibility is to act as a liaison between the customer front end and the technology backend. Aya takes requests from her clientele and works with her team to make sure the changes or enhancements can be implemented.

Engineering Analyst, Johnson & Johnson

Kathryn Nyby ’18, Information Technology
Kathryn is an Engineering Analyst with Johnson & Johnson, one of the country's largest medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods manufacturers. Based in the medical devices division, Kathryn is responsible for testing and analyzing the supply chain, both internally and with vendors. Working with a startup mentality, Kathryn's team aims to improve the cost and speed without sacrificing quality.

Management Consultant, Boston Consulting Group

Adrianne Verga '16, Business & Information Systems
Adrianne is a Management Consultant with Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm. Focused on technology strategies, Adrianne works with companies around the country to enhance their digital modernity, from their architecture and data sets to their project methodologies. Adrianne warns that this career is not for the homebody; he is on the road with clients from Sunday through Thursday every week!

Plant Quality Manager, Sonoco Products

Vincia Jackson '15, Chemical Engineering
Vincia is a Plant Quality Manager for Sonoco Products, an industrial manufacturer of food packaging products. Working in the food grade packaging division, Vincia is the face of quality management, ensuring all of her clients' needs are met 24/7. Vincia is constantly analyzing data to make sure all cans go out defect-free and that the plants under her watch are operating properly.

Azure Consultant, Microsoft

Rafael Yactayo '14, Computer Engineering
Rafael is an Azure Consultant with Microsoft. Based out of New Jersey, Rafael travels around the country to help clients implement the architecture solutions in order to transition to Azure, Microsoft's proprietary cloud computing service. Rafael recommends all students to learn a little bit of coding, regardless of their major.

Product Support Engineer, Stryker

Sherry Sourial '12 '16, Biomedical Engineering
Sherry is a Product Support Engineer for Stryker, a medical device and implant manufacturer. Sherry works on the product support team that supports all of the company's various medical solutions, such as updating product drawings, reviewing design plans, and responding to product issues from the field.

Architect, CallisonRTKL

Leland Greenfield '14, Architecture
Leland is an Architect at CallisonRTKL, a global architecture firm that specializes in commercial design and construction. Based out of New York City, Leland is either on the road meeting with clients in the company's automotive division, designing spaces for car dealerships, service centers, and ground-breaking spaces yet to be seen by consumers.

Chemical Engineer & Global Sourcing Manager, Merck

Sonali Bhatnagar '11, Chemical Engineering
Sonali is a Chemical Engineer and a Global Sourcing Manager at Merck. Based out of New Jersey, Sonali works within the Sourcing and Procurement group. In the short term she is responsible for working with internal stakeholders to outsource products for Merck. The long term is a much more strategic planning role, choosing and vetting suppliers for the company to rely on in the future.

Electrical Engineer & Account Executive, Schneider Electric

Mohammad Jubran '13, Electrical & Computer Engineering Technology
Mohammad is an Electrical Engineer and an Account Executive with Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management and automation. Based out of Secaucus, NJ, Mohammad is responsible for both developing new accounts and maintaining existing accounts. He explains the lifecycle of a project, from meeting with designers through construction and finally post-completion client maintenance.

Systems Engineer, Army Futures Command - Armaments Center

Darlene Clovis '04 '07, Biomedical Engineering
Darlene is a Systems Engineer with the United States Army Futures Command. Based out of the Picatinny Armaments Center, Darlene is responsible for strategizing improvements for future weapons, making sure our warfighters have the safest, lightest, and most effective weapons on the battlefield. From rifles and grenades to counter IED devices and mortar weapons systems, Darlene walks us through the process of improving the weapons systems that keep our country safe.